SDC Leader Asks US to Block Turkish Armed Drones Over Syria: Report

Leader of Syrian Democratic Force (SDC) has reportedly asked the Pentagon to block the usage of Turkish military drones over Syrian air space.

Ilham Ahmed, the head of the SDC, said that the Kurds would hold the Pentagon responsible for Turkish war crimes if they did nothing to guarantee protection from the air, reports The Guardian.

The SDC, which is the political arm of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), had appealed to the Pentagon for help or an explanation but had heard nothing back, the report said.

"Armed Turkish drones were a constant presence in the air above north-eastern Syria, striking at will against both military and civilian targets. We have been promised by the United States on a couple of occasions that areas that have US forces will never be attacked by Turkey,” she said during a visit to Washington.

Ahmed added that the US "did not fulfill its promise after the Turkish incursion because Turkish drones are still flying" over Syria.

“We call on the Pentagon go to stop allowing Turkey to use Syrian air space,” she added.

According to the SDC leader, attacks by drones, artillery and Turkish-backed militias are still continuing, and that since the start of the Turkish incursion on October 9, 509 civilians and 412 SDF soldiers had been killed in the area.

Although the type of drones used in Turkey's Operation Peace Spring in Syria was not revealed by the Turkish ministry, local media reported that ANKA-S and Bayraktar TB2 drones were being used. These drones were also reportedly employed by Turkish forces in their previous Syrian Operations- Euphrates and Olive Branch.